1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for converting heat energy into mechanical energy through the utilization of a pressured gas circulating around a closed cycle including an expander of the type wherein cooperating cylinder and piston assemblies are mounted for rotation on a power output shaft in such manner that the pistons are movable in the cylinders solely by the action of the pressured gas thereon in one direction and by centrifugal force in the opposite direction and the reaction forces on the cylinders produces the mechanical energy output.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Literally hundreds of heat energy conversion systems have heretofore been proposed going back to the original invention of the steam engine. The devices most commonly employed to convert a pressured gas, such as steam, into mechanical energy comprise pistons reciprocable in fixed cylinders and rotary turbines.
In the co-pending application of James G. Adams, Ser. No. 343,240, filed Jan. 28, 1982, there is disclosed a rotary expander for use in an air conditioning system, comprising a plurality of cylinders mounted for rotation on a power shaft and defining paths of movement for cooperating pistons which extend from a point remote from the axis of rotation to a point proximate to the axis of rotation. With this arrangement, a charge of pressured gas introduced into a cylinder when the respective piston is in its remote position, will cause the piston to move inwardly toward its proximate position and effect an expansion and cooling of the gas charge. Contemporaneously, a reaction force is produced on the end wall of the cylinder which will assist in rotating the cylinder and the connected power shaft, and thus a more efficient system for effecting the expansion and cooling of the charge of gas was disclosed.
In my above mentioned co-pending parent applications Ser. Nos. 436,412, 436,852 and 451,606, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed and claimed a variety of configurations of rotating cylinders having cooperating pistons reciprocably movable therein solely through the action of a pressured gas and centrifugal force, between a position remote from the axis of rotation to a position proximate to the axis of rotation, hereinafter referred to as centrifugal piston expanders. In such co-pending applications, of which this application constitutes a continuation-in-part, it is disclosed that the various configurations of fluid pressure chambers defined by the rotating cylinders can efficiently be utilized as an engine to provide a source of motive power through the application of a pressured gas thereto. While specific examples of closed cycle air conditioning or air cooling systems were disclosed in the above-mentioned applications, a specific example of a closed cycle system for operating a centrifugal piston expander solely to produce a mechanical power output was not described. Such closed cycle system permits the utilization of phase changing gases, such as steam, and the common refrigerant gases, such as Freon, as the driving medium for any of the disclosed centrifugal piston expanders. Utilization of these gases to drive a centrifugal piston expander inherently requires a closed cycle system, and an operable closed cycle system for utilizing the unique centrifugal piston expanders disclosed in the aforementioned parent applications as engines has not heretofore been available.